* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:06] IT IS WEDNESDAY, [CALL TO ORDER] JULY 16TH, 2025, AND THE TIME IS 5:30 PM UH, THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS TO CALL ROLL. UM, CHRISTIE, WOULD YOU MIND DOING THAT? NOT AT ALL. CHAIR ED ISHMAEL. HERE. KIMBERLY LEVINSON? HERE. PAT UPTA? HERE. DAVID CARROLL. PRESENT. LIZ KOEL. NATHAN MCDANIEL. HERE. CHARLES VETO PRESENT. NANCY P*****K. HERE. SONYA SCHIFFER SHOULD BE JOINING. OH, THERE SHE IS. COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER. IF WE COULD JUST HAVE YOUR CAMERA ON, WE CAN COUNT YOU AS HERE. AND PHILIP WILEY WILL NOT BE HERE. JENNIFER FRANKLIN SHOULD ALSO BE JOINING SHORTLY. LES SHOULD ALSO BE JOINING SHORT SHORTLY. NELLY PAULINO RAMIREZ HERE, AND SPENCER SCHUMACHER. UM, JUST A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. I WANNA WELCOME, UM, COMMISSIONER P*****K. THIS IS HER FIRST MEETING. UM, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. SHE WAS APPOINTED BY MARK UCHIN, DISTRICT 10. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON. NANCY. WELCOME. UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. DO WE HAVE ANYONE HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? NO. CHAIR. ALL RIGHT. UM, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, [1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission regular called meeting on May 21, 2025. ] WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. UM, HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK OVER THE MINUTES FROM LAST TIME? ARE THERE ANY MODIFICATIONS, ADDITIONS, CHANGES? SO, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? YES. AYE. YEAH. UH, MOTION PASSES. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON [2. Staff briefing by Shanisha Johnson, Planner Principal, District Planning, Planning Department regarding the Downtown Austin Plan Update. ] TO THE MEAT OF THE AGENDA. WE HAVE, UM, A STAFF PRESENTATION TODAY BY SHIN SHAA JOHNSON. SHAA JOHNSON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PLANNER, PRINCIPAL, DISTRICT PLANNING, PLANNING DEPARTMENT REGARDING THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN UPDATE. SHAHA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OKAY. AND I JUST ADVANCED THE, JUST CHECKING. UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS ISHA JOHNSON. I'M A PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT OVERSEEING THE WORK OF THE DISTRICT PLANNING TEAM. MY TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTHEAST DISTRICT PLAN, AND NOW THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN UPDATE. WE LAST PRESENTED ON THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN UPDATE AT YOUR DECEMBER MEETING. IN THIS PRESENTATION, WE WILL REVIEW THE 2024 RESOLUTION DIRECTING AN UPDATE OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN, THE, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN UPDATE AS A DISTRICT PLAN, OUR PROGRESS TO DATE, AND A FEW KEY NEXT STEPS. UH, NEXT I'LL WALK US THROUGH KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE DAP UPDATE RESOLUTION. A 2024 COUNCIL RESOLUTION INITIATED UPDATES TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN, INCLUDING A MINIMUM OF A 10 YEAR OUTLOOK THROUGH AN EQUITY, RESILIENCE, AND SUSTAINABILITY LENS. ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS THAT LIVE, WORK, AND VISIT DOWNTOWN. UM, AND ENSURING IMPLEMENTATION AND COORDINATION OF PROJECTS, PLANS, AND INITIATIVES IN THE AREA. THE RESOLUTION IDENTIFIES THESE KEY CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO IMPLEMENTATION, COST ESTIMATES, POTENTIAL PARTNERS, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, FINANCIAL TOOLS, AND NECESS ANY NECESSARY CODE AMENDMENTS FOR PROJECTS, PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS. LASTLY, THE RESOLUTION AS STAFF TO PROVIDE A MEMO WITH ESTIMATED COSTS, A SCOPE, A PRELIMINARY TIMELINE FOR THE PLANNING EFFORT, IDENTIFICATION OF CITY STAFF RESOURCES, AND POTENTIAL EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS, OR THIRD PARTIES THAT CAN ASSIST IN PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR PLAN DEVELOPMENT. NEXT, I'LL GO OVER THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN UPDATE AS THE CENTER CITY CENTRAL DISTRICT PLAN, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN UPDATE IS MOVING FORWARD AS THE CENTER CITY CENTRAL DISTRICT PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES THE DOWNTOWN SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT AND UT UT UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY AREAS. THE CENTER CITY CENTRAL DISTRICT PLAN. OUR DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSE TO [00:05:01] THE DAP UPDATE RESOLUTION AND THE NORTH RIVER EAST DISTRICT PLAN. OUR DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE 7 8 7 0 2 RESOLUTION ARE THE FIRST DISTRICT PLANS TO MOVE FORWARD UNDER THIS NEW PLANNING APPROACH, FOLLOWING THE PILOT DISTRICT PLAN EFFORT. THE NORTHEAST DISTRICT PLAN, A KEY FEATURE OF DISTRICT PLANNING IS QUICK WINS OR NEAR TERM IMPLEMENTABLE PROJECTS THAT ARE BASED ON KNOWN COMMUNITY NEEDS. WE WILL WORK WITH CONSULTANTS AND KEY DEPARTMENTS TO IDENTIFY HIGH IMPACT LOW COST INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS PLACEMAKING AND OTHER ACTIVATIONS. WE WILL ALSO COORDINATE EFFORTS WITH THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN STRATEGIC INITIATIVE FOR THIS PLAN AREA. THERE ARE KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR WHY WE CHOSE TO GROUP THE UT UNO, SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT AND DOWNTOWN PLAN AREA, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN AREAS FOR COHESIVE PLANNING EFFORT. THESE CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDE REINFORCING BUILT-IN NATURAL SYSTEMS, CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN AREAS WITH THE GREATEST DENSITY, ENSURING THAT PLANNING BOUNDARIES ALIGN WITH THE AREAS THAT ARE FORECAST FOR CONCENTRATED GROWTH. IN ADDITION, THESE AREAS ARE TOGETHER, ARE IDENTIFIED AS A REGIONAL CENTER IN IMAGINE AUSTIN'S GROWTH CONCEPT MAP AND A BROADER PERSPECTIVE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO CONSIDER THE URBAN CORE OF AUSTIN. WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE AND EMPHASIZE THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UT UNO, AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT AS THE CITY'S URBAN CORE, EACH WITH UNIQUE BUT COMPLIMENTARY GROWTH AND DEV, COMPLIMENTARY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT CHARACTERISTICS. THEY SHOULD BE TREATED AS INTERCONNECTED AREAS OF INNOVATION, COMMERCE, AND CULTURE WITH ALIGNED PLANNING APPROACHES THAT MAINTAIN THEIR DISTINCT IDENTITIES WHILE ENABLING GROWTH. LASTLY, WE CONSIDERED, UH, THE CAPTURE AND INCORPORATION OF LOCAL AND STATE INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE URBAN CORE. THIS INCLUDES ADOPTING UPDATED BOUNDARIES TO ALIGN WITH EXISTING AND PROJECTED URBAN CORE PROJECTS LIKE I 35 ENHANCEMENTS AND PUBLIC TRANSIT CORRIDORS AND HUBS, SUCH AS WITH PROJECT CONNECT. NOW I'LL GO OVER OUR PROGRESS TO DATE. SINCE DECEMBER, 2024, WE HAVE CONDUCTED PRELIMINARY RESEARCH, WHICH INCLUDES INITIAL STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION STATUS REVIEW FOR THE ORIGINAL, UH, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN. WE HAVE DEVELOPED A SCOPE AND SOLICITED A PRELIMINARY COST ESTIMATE FOR, FROM OUR PLANNING BENCH CONSULTANTS. THE SCOPE INCORPORATES HIGH LEVEL GOALS OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION WORKING GROUP. KEY THEMES FOR THE PLAN UPDATE COLLECTED THROUGH INITIAL STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND FEEDBACK FROM CITY DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, AND, UH, DISTRICT NINE OFFICE, AS WELL AS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. IN MAY OF 2025, CITY STAFF SENT MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL DESCRIBING THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN UPDATE AS A DISTRICT PLAN. SINCE MAY STAFF HAVE CONTINUED TO COLLECT FEEDBACK FROM KEY INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS. LAST WEEK, STAFF SOLICITED A FINAL COST ESTIMATE AND PROPOSAL FROM TWO OF OUR PLANNING BENCH CONSULTANTS. NOW I'LL DISCUSS OUR NEXT STEPS THROUGH THE END OF THE SUMMER LEADING INTO FALL, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TASKS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS. THESE INCLUDE DEVELOPING A DRAFT ENGAGEMENT PLAN AND TIMELINE. MY TEAM HAS INITIATED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGAGEMENT PLAN. CONSULTANTS WILL HELP FINALIZE THE ENGAGEMENT PLAN WITH HELPFUL, HELPFUL INSIGHT AND EXPERTISE. CURRENTLY, WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THREE PHASES OF ENGAGEMENT THROUGH FALL OF 2026. IN ADDITION, WE, UH, MY TEAM IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON LAUNCHING OUR SPEAK OF AUSTIN PAGE. WE ARE WORKING WITH STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS TO ENSURE WELL A WELL THOUGHT OUT PUBLIC INFORMATION SITE. AND LASTLY, WE ARE ON TRACK TO ONBOARD A CONSULTANT IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. YES. UH, I HAVE A QUESTION. YES. I THINK YOU'VE IDENTIFIED, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, SOME OF THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS, UH, STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, EVERYONE WITHIN THIS PLAN, THE BOUNDARIES OF THIS PLAN HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BECAUSE, UM, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE SEPARATE POCKETS OF PLANNING AND DISCUSSION AND HAVING COORDINATION BETWEEN ALL OF THOSE GROUPS IS REALLY CRUCIAL, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, IDENTIFYING ALL THOSE STAKEHOLDERS [00:10:02] AND, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I HAVE UNDERSTOOD ABOUT, UM, PROJECT CONNECT BEING A, A LEADING FORCE IN THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, THAT'S EVOLVING AS WE SPEAK. YOU KNOW, MAJOR FUNDING HAS BEEN CUT AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF PROJECT CONNECT WILL BE DELAYED IF NOT CANCELED. AND SO I THINK THAT, UM, AS WE PROCEED, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT PROJECT CONNECT IS, UM, REDEFINED AS IT GOES ALONG, YOU KNOW, AND HOW IT'S GONNA DIRECT, UH, THIS VISION FOR THE DOWNTOWN PLAN. THANK YOU. AND THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT POINT THAT YOU MAKE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE ARE, UM, UH, PREPARING TO DO IS TO COORDINATE CLOSELY WITH AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, CAP CAPITAL METRO, AS WELL AS THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT'S ETOD TEAMS. MM-HMM . THANK YOU. MM-HMM . UM, I ALSO AM ON THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BOARD, AND I AM HOPING THAT YOU GUYS WILL BE REACHING OUT SOON TO NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, BECAUSE SO FAR WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT. UM, WE ARE DEFINITELY ON BOARD WITH THIS. WE THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA. AT LEAST MY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS ON BOARD WITH THIS AND THINKS IT'S A GREAT IDEA. BUT, UM, YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR SOME PUSHBACK FROM OTHER GROUPS. SO, UH, IF ANY WAY WE CAN HELP YOU, YOU JUST LET ME KNOW. MM-HMM . ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THREE PHASES OF ENGAGEMENT. UH, WE WANT TO BRING THESE, UH, SUB AREAS AND, AND ALL OUR RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER, UH, INITIALLY FOR PHASE ONE. BUT THEN FOR PHASE TWO OF ENGAGEMENT, WE, WE HOPE TO DO A DEEP DIVE IN TO, UM, ALL WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN EACH SUB AREA SO THAT WE, WE ARE REALLY, UM, UM, MESSAGING THAT, THAT WE ARE, UM, WE ARE LISTENING AND HOPE TO INCORPORATE AS MUCH FEEDBACK AS WE CAN. OKAY. AND I'LL PROBABLY SEE YOU AT THE DA'S MOBILITY COMMITTEE AT SOME POINT TOO. WE, WE WILL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AS WELL. CERTAINLY. THANK YOU. UH, SHANEA, THIS IS, UH, OR ISHA, I'M SORRY. THIS IS, UH, VALUABLE INFORMATION AND CERTAINLY THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PART OF THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. UM, I WOULD ASK, UM, DO YOU GUYS HAVE PLANS ALSO TO ENGAGE, UH, THE CREATIVE COMMUNITIES IN, IN MARKETS DOWNTOWN? YOU KNOW, I WOULD, OBVIOUSLY THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT, UM, AND, UH, DOWNTOWN SERVICE INDUSTRY FOLKS, YOU KNOW, SHOULD CERTAINLY BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION, SO I'M SURE YOU MAYBE MM-HMM . WE CONSIDER THOSE GROUPS KEY STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL. WONDERFUL. YEAH. OKAY. AND HAPPY TO CONNECT OFFLINE, UH, AS WELL. I REPRESENT A, A GROUP THAT, UH, REPRESENTS ABOUT 6,000, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS MUSICIANS. AND SO OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THEM LIVE IN, WELL WORK, UH, DOWNTOWN. AND I KNOW PARKING AND SAFETY ARE BIG ISSUES THAT THEY BRING UP TO US CONSTANTLY. SO HAPPY TO CONNECT ON THOSE AS WELL. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OH, YEAH. OKAY. WE GOT YOU. NOW. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE KEY THEMES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN INITIAL STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. SO THEY, THEY HAVE, UH, BEEN INCLUDED IN THE SCOPE THAT WE, WE HAVE CARRIED FORWARD TO OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH CONSULTANTS, AND THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE. THAT'S FANTASTIC TO HEAR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ABSOLUTELY. UH, WHO'S YOUR CONSULTANT? YOU SAID YOU HAD, WERE GOING TO ONBOARD IN AUGUST OR SOMETHING? WELL, TWO PLANNING, UH, BENCH CONSULTANTS. UM, I HAVE NOT BEEN, IT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED THAT I SAY WHICH ONE THOSE ARE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE ARE STILL DECIDING, YOU KNOW, COST AND SCOPE AND, AND, UH, QUALITY. AND SO, UM, OKAY. I'LL LET THE HOOK ON THAT ONE TO SHARE THAT MORE INFORMATION IN AUGUST. UNDERSTOOD. YEAH. SO I, A QUESTION ABOUT THAT. IF YOU, UM, IF YOU'VE NARROWED IT DOWN TO TWO CONSULTANTS MM-HMM . WITHOUT A SCOPE, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU DO THAT? HOW DO YOU, HOW HAVE YOU CHOSEN THOSE TWO? UM, SO YOU JUST ASKED IF WE, IF WE NARROWED IT DOWN WITHOUT A SCOPE. WELL, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE DEVELOPING A SCOPE. OH, THE SCOPE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED. OH, YEAH. THE SCOPE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AND, UM, WE, SO IT WAS PUBLISHED WITH THE MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL. SO THE MEMO, UH, WAS THE RE WE HAD THE MEMO, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD THE RESPONSE. AND SO THE SCOPE IS, IS A PART OF THAT, UM, THAT, UH, RELEASE, UM, BACK IN, IN MAY. UM, WHAT WE DID WAS CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS AFTER THE RELEASE OF THAT MEMO TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, KEY STAKEHOLDERS, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL HAD TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS PUBLISHED AND, AND TO LIKE PROVIDE SOME KIND OF, UM, FINAL FEEDBACK FOR INCORPORATION INTO THE SCOPE. SO WE DO HAVE A SCOPE THAT WE [00:15:01] HAVE SUBMITTED TO CONSULTANTS. SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT WAS ATTACHED TO THAT MEMO IS THE SCOPE THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE CONSULTANTS. YES. UM, EXCEPT FOR THERE IS AN ADDITION OF, OF A LOOK AT, UM, LIKE HOMELESSNESS SERVICES IN THE AREA. THAT WASN'T A, A FEATURE AS WELL AS ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, WHEN WE HAD PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS, COST ESTIMATE DISCUSSIONS WITH ALL PLANNING, UH, BENCH CONSULTANTS, UH, WE REALIZED THAT WE NEEDED TO KIND OF BREAK DOWN, UH, ENGAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES, UH, REDUCING COST OF, OF THE PLANNING EFFORTS. AND SO MY TEAM TAKING ON A PORTION OF ENGAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES AS WELL AS THE CONSULTANTS. SO YEAH, A COUPLE OF ADDITIONS. UH, NOTHING SUBSTANTIAL, BUT JUST FURTHER DETAIL TO HELP THE CONSULTANTS COME UP WITH THE FINAL COST. UM, YOU MENTIONED AND THE MEMO THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, MENTIONED PLAN IMPLEMENTATION TRACKING. YES. WHAT IS THAT, WHAT IS THAT GONNA LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO SEE IF, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S SOMETHING IN WRITING YEAH. UM, OR REPORTS THAT ARE PROVIDED PERIODICALLY. THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. YES. SO, UM, I DID MENTION PRELIMINARY RESEARCH, UH, ONE BEING INITIAL STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND THE OTHER BEING, UH, PLAN IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW. THAT, UM, THAT EFFORT IS BEING TAKEN ON BY OUR SMALL AREA PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, UM, TEAM IN, IN OUR LONG RANGE PLANNING DIVISION. AND SO, UM, THEY, I BELIEVE HAVE FINISHED PHASE ONE KIND OF INITIAL, UH, TRACKING AND, AND, UH, CATEGORIZATION OF ACTION ITEMS FOR ALL SMALL AREA PLANS. AND PHASE TWO IS TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT IT RIGHT TO REACH OUT TO OTHER, UH, IMPLEMENTATION LEADS IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SO WHAT I'M REALLY TRYING TO SAY IN, IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY IS THAT, UM, THAT INFORMATION IS NOT AVAILABLE JUST YET. UM, UM, WE ARE STILL WORKING ON WRAPPING UP PHASE TWO. OKAY. YEAH. SO THANK, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION. UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE STILL CONSIDERING THE QUALITY IN DETERMINING THE CONSULTANTS AND MM-HMM . EVEN THAT DOWNTOWN IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR THE REGION. WE WOULD REALLY URGE YOU NOT TO SKIMP ON QUALITY FOR THIS VERY IMPORTANT EFFORT. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. ABSOLUTELY. I HAVE ONE OTHER COMMENT. YEAH, COMMISSIONER PETER. YOU KNOW, I THINK THROUGH THIS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, THIS THREE STEP THAT YOU POINTED OUT OF ENGAGEMENT, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S ASSURANCE TO THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT THEIR IDEAS CONCERNS HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, AND THAT WE END UP WITH A BALANCE, UM, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN. AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT ASSURANCE TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS IS VERY IMPORTANT. THERE, THERE, THERE'S A LOT TO CONSIDER IMBALANCE THERE. THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY IN THE AREA AND, AND A WIDE VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS IN THE AREA THAT WE ARE BEING VERY CONSIDERATE OF. MM-HMM . THANK YOU. THE MEMO ALSO THAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO THE MAY MEMO ALSO MENTIONED A NEEDS AND GAPS ANALYSIS. UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT NEEDS, WHAT GAPS ? YES. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE HOPE, LIKE THAT'S KIND OF, UM, SO THE DISTRICT PLANNING PROCESS STARTS WITH AN EXISTING CONDITIONS SUMMARY. AND SO, UM, THE CONSULTANTS WILL HELP CRAFT THAT REPORT. WHAT WE'LL TAKE ARE THE FINDINGS FROM THAT REPORT INTO OUR FIRST PHASE OF ENGAGEMENT WHERE WE'LL TALK ABOUT, LIKE, THIS IS WHAT, WHAT WE'VE LEARNED THROUGH OUR ANALYSIS, DID WE GET IT RIGHT? WHAT'S MISSING? WHAT ARE ADDITIONAL NEEDS? WHERE ARE THE GAPS? AND SO IT'S THAT OPENER CONVERSATION OF, OF LIKE, TELL ME WHAT YOU HOPE TO SEE IN, IN YOUR, IN, IN THE AREA, IN THE DISTRICT AREA. AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE SUB AREAS THAT WE HAVE COMBINED, UM, FROM AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART PERSPECTIVE. MM-HMM . HOW IS, UM, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN STRATEGIC INITIATIVE, DASSI MM-HMM . AND YOUR GROUP, HOW ARE YOU COORDINATING? I KNOW YOU SAID THAT THROUGH A POINT OF CONTACT, HAS THAT PERSON BEEN IDENTIFY, POINTED OUT ? YES. SO, UM, WHEN, SO WHAT WE WERE TOLD, UM, IS THAT THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, JOHN FORTUNE, IS THE POINT OF CONTACT. AND SO, UH, THEREFORE HIS ADVISOR, ROBERTO TINO, IS OUR POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN STRATEGIC INITIATIVES. AND HOW DO YOU ENVISION YOUR TWO GROUPS WORKING TOGETHER? WE HAVE, HAVEN'T SET A CADENCE JUST YET FOR, FOR, UM, OUR COLLABORATION, BUT WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO, UH, TO COMMUNICATE AHEAD OF MILESTONES IN THE PLANNING EFFORT. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE SO FAR CAN TELL THAT WE WILL, WE WILL COME TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, UH, WE, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS [00:20:01] WITH, UM, WITH, UH, TRUE COLLABORATION. I DON'T BELIEVE. DID YOU MENTION THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED FINAL COST ESTIMATES? WE SENT OUT, UM, OUR, LIKE OUR, OUR UPDATED SCOPE, SO THE SCOPE WITH ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT DETAILS, UM, LAST WEEK, AND, UM, SHOULD HAVE A RESPONSE, UM, FROM THE TWO, UH, TOP TWO CONSULTANTS NEXT WEEK. SO YOU'RE HAVING THEM VET IT FIRST, IS THAT, SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME. YOU'RE HAVING THEM LOOK AT IT FIRST AND AGREE TO THE, TO THE COST OR, SO WE HAVE, MAYBE I'M MISSING THE POINT OF THE COST. IS IT THE COST OF THE CONSULTANT OR THE COST OF, UH, UPDATING THE PLAN, WHICH I GUESS IS A CONSULTANT? UM, SO THE, THE, UM, THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE SCOPE, WHICH WAS RELEASED WITH A MEMO, RIGHT. UM, HELPED INFORM A PRELIMINARY COST ESTIMATE. OKAY. UM, AND SO THERE WASN'T A LOT OF DETAIL, IT WAS JUST BALLPARK FIGURE. AND, AND THEN WE, UM, INCLUDED ADDITIONAL INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, AND THAT KIND OF PROVIDED SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS. AND I ALSO MADE SURE TO ADD IN ENGAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES, KIND OF BREAK THOSE DOWN AND, AND THEN TOOK THAT ELABORATED SCOPE FOR A FINAL COST ESTIMATE. SO NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE BREAKING DOWN THEIR PROPOSAL, LIKE, UM, EXACTLY WHAT DELIVERABLES WE'LL GET OUT OF AND LIKE PROVIDING MORE DETAILS. SO IT'S A FULL PROPOSAL KIND OF, THIS IS THE SET COST AND THIS IS THE AMOUNT THAT WE WILL ENC ENCUMBER. OKAY. WE DON'T HAVE THAT, THOSE NUMBERS YET. WE DON'T HAVE THAT YET. THAT SHOULD, THAT SHOULD BE NEXT WEEK. YEAH. MM-HMM . AND THEN THE UPDATED SCOPE, I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN THE UPDATED SCOPE. UM, IS THAT A WRITTEN DOCUMENT THAT WE COULD SEE? WE CAN HAVE IT PROVIDED TO US. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S OKAY WITH MY LEADERSHIP. I'LL ASK THEM FIRST. I'M SURE I'M, I WON'T EVEN SAY THAT. I'LL JUST NEED TO CHECK WITH MY LEADERSHIP BEFORE SHARING OUT. IT MAKES SENSE. UNDERSTOOD. I I HAVE ONE MORE, MR. ONE OTHER QUESTION RELATING TO THE, UM, THE EVENTUAL COST ESTIMATE AND IS THERE FULL FUNDING FOR IT IN THIS CURRENT DEVELOPING BUDGET? YOU KNOW, THERE IS. UM, AND SO, UM, I BELIEVE THE JUSTIFICATION, PART OF THE JUSTIFICATION IS THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ETOD AREAS MM-HMM . UH, STATION AREAS IN THE DISTRICT AREA, UH, MOSTLY LIGHT RAIL. AND SO, UM, YES, WE, WE ARE USING SOME ETOD FUNDING, UH, IN ORDER TO FUND THE, UM, THE PLANNING EFFORT. THAT'S GREAT. MM-HMM . THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER ONE, ONE MORE. AND I, I THINK THIS IS REALLY MORE THAN ANYTHING A QUESTION FOR MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, BUT, UM, I, I AM STILL A BIT NEW TO THIS, UH, COMMISSION. UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'LL EXPECT MORE, UH, UPDATES FROM, UH, MS. JOHNSON AT THIS, AT THESE MEETINGS. YES. BUT WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO HAVE A DEDICATED WORKING GROUP TO INTERACT, UH, WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AS THIS IS SUCH A KEY ISSUE WITH THE WORK WE DO HERE? WE DO HAVE A WORKING GROUP. UM, OH, WELL, THERE YOU GO. . YES. UM, AND WE WERE VERY ACTIVE, UH, EARLIER IN THE YEAR MM-HMM . UM, AND THEN WE HAVEN'T HAD A MEETING IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DO. UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS ON THE WORKING GROUP, UM, THE MAXIMUM NUMBER WITHOUT HAVING A QUORUM. YEAH. UM, I, I WILL CHECK TO SEE IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED IN BACKING AWAY, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN GETTING ON CERTAINLY. OKAY. WOULD BE. YEAH. BUT YEAH, IN THE MEANTIME, AND WE WILL, I'M SURE BE MUCH MORE ACTIVE LATER ON WHEN WE GET MORE NUMBERS BACK FROM THEM AND THE SCOPE OF THINGS BECOMES CLEARER, THEN WE WILL DEFINITELY BE DOING MORE MEETINGS. WELL, THAT'S GREAT NEWS, . ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS EITHER ONLINE OR HERE? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. LOOK FORWARD TO FUTURE DISCUSSIONS. YES, ABSOLUTELY. ALRIGHT. UM, [3. Update regarding the Design Commission’s recent work as it relates to the Downtown Commission.] NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS AN UPDATE REGARDING THE DESIGN COMMISSION'S RECENT WORK AS IT RELATES TO DOWNTOWN COMMISSION IS COMMISSIONER GILLES? YES. I, HI. CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME OKAY? YES. GREAT. UM, HI. THANKS FOR INVITING ME TO SPEAK ON THIS AGENDA. UH, I'M IN LES, I'M DESIGN COMMISSIONER REPRESENTING CITY OF AUSTIN, DISTRICT THREE, UH, RECOMMENDATION OF COUNCIL MEMBER OF JOSE . I'M AN ARCHITECT. I WORK AT NO DESIGN OFFICE. UH, THE AUSTIN DESIGN COMMISSION PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE ENVIRONMENT. OUR PURVIEW INCLUDES PROVIDING ADVISORY RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL ON PUBLIC POLICY RELATED URBAN DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, AS WELL AS REVIEWING CITY PROJECTS, MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS IN GENERAL FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES. [00:25:01] UH, OUR RECENT ACTIVITY HAS CENTERED AROUND THE REWRITE OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, AS WELL AS REVIEWING AN ONGOING REVIEW AND ADVOCACY, UM, OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE THROUGH THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF BOSTON. UM, AND REVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, UH, WE HAVE, UM, HAD RECENT STAFF REPORTS PUT IN FRONT OF US, INCLUDING STAFF, STAFF REPORT ON THE RECENT RESOLUTION ON BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN BY THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT. UM, THERE HAS BEEN DISCUSSION AND ACTION TO RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL WHETHER, UM, THE PROJECT OR THE CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, AS WELL AS THE GARAGE, THE WEST GARAGE AT THE AIRPORT BY CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES. UM, AND SO WHILE THESE ARE ONGOING REVIEWS, AND THERE'S A CONTINUED FOCUS TO ENSURE THAT NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA ALIGN WITH THE VISION OF, UH, THE DOWNTOWN, UM, THE DESIGN GUIDELINES, UM, WE ARE ACTIVELY AND ALWAYS, UH, REVIEWING PROJECTS THROUGH THE LENS OF EQUITY SEEKING TO ENSURE THAT, UM, NEW DEVELOPMENTS BENEFIT ALL RESIDENTS. UM, WE, UH, PUT FORWARD RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, WITH OUR EXPERT ADVICE ON DESIGN IMPLICATIONS. UM, HOWEVER, THE, THE REWRITE OF THE DOWNTOWN, UM, UH, SORRY, THE DESIGN, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, HAS LED US TO LOOK BACK, UH, MOST OF OUR MEETINGS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 2025 HAVE INCLUDED SOME REVIEW, UM, CASE STUDY REVIEW OF, UH, RECENTLY COMPLETED PROJECTS TO ASSESS, EVALUATE, AND DISCUSS THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM AND PROCESS AS WE UNDERGO THAT REWROTE OF THE DESIGN GUIDELINES. UM, SO NOT TO GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL ON THE, THE DENSITY PROGRAM, DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM ITSELF, UM, BUT FOR OUR CITY CODE, A REVIEW BY THE DESIGN COMMISSION IS A GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT FOR PROJECTS, UM, UNDERGOING ENTITLEMENTS BEYOND THE BASE, UM, WHO ARE SEEKING INCREASED, UH, HEIGHT OR FAR ENTITLEMENTS, UM, TO COME BEFORE THE, THE DESIGN COMMISSION IS A GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT. UM, AND TO COMPLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY REQUIRE WITH THE, OR THE DESIGN GUIDELINES IS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THEN GOES FORWARD TO TOWARDS COUNCIL. UM, AND SO SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE'VE LOOKED AT SEVERAL CASE STUDIES, UH, TO COMPARE WHAT WAS PUT FORWARD TOWARDS THE COMMISSION, UM, VERSUS WHAT WAS CONSTRUCTED. AND FINALLY AS A SORT OF FINAL BUILT PRODUCT AND, UM, SEVERAL MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS. UM, NOT, NOT TO NAME ANY ADDRESSES OR ALL SPECIFIC BUILDINGS OUT, BUT, UM, HAVE BEEN REVIEWED TO, UH, ASSESS THEIR, UM, RESULTANT IMPACT ON WALKABILITY, PUBLIC SPACE INTEGRATION, UM, DISCUSSION OF FACADE MATERIALS, MASSING AND, AND PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION. AND, UM, ALSO THE, THE, UH, REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF THE PROCESS AS THESE PROJECTS COME TO US. UM, AS PART OF THE REVIEW, THERE IS A PRELIMINARY WORKING GROUP MEETING IN COLLABORATION WITH STAFF TO PREPARE THESE PROJECTS TO COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION, UH, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THAT SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE. UM, AND, AND TO BE CLEAR, IT'S NOT THE PURVIEW OF THE COMMISSION TO APPROVE OR DISPROVE DEVELOPMENT OF, OF ANY KIND. UM, BUT WHAT THE COMMISSION IS LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE IS THE IMPACT OF THE ENTITLEMENTS THAT THE PROJECT IS SEEKING THROUGH THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, UM, ON, UM, OUR PUBLIC REALM AND THE TREATMENT OF THE ACTIVATION OF THE DOWNTOWN CORE. AND THAT INCLUDES PUBLIC ART INTEGRATION. UM, THE CITY, THE COMMISSION HAS PROVIDED, UM, REVIEW TO AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL ON HOW THESE PROJECTS ARE INCORPORATING PUBLIC ART, ENSURING ALIGNMENT WITH THE CITY'S CULTURAL GOALS AND ENHANCING THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE. WE ALSO REVIEW FOR SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES, UM, INCLUDING GREEN ROOTS, RAIN HARVESTING AND, AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY, ALSO IN LINE WITH THE CITY'S SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS. BUT THE, THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE, UM, LOOK AT CHARACTER, CREATING THE UNIQUE IDENTITY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT, THAT WE KNOW AND LOVE, UM, CONTINUITY AND ENCLOSURE, DEFINING A CLEAR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPACE WITHIN THAT URBAN REALM, THE QUALITY OF THE PUBLIC REALM, USING ATTRACTIVE, YOU KNOW, VALUED MATERIALS, EASE OF MOVEMENT, AND THE LEGIBILITY OF THAT MOVEMENT. UM, AND ALSO AS ALWAYS, SOCIAL EQUITY, ENSURING THAT THE DESIGN DECISIONS BENEFIT ON THE OF THE C COMMUNITY. AND SO, UM, AS WE ARE REVIEWING THESE RECENT CASE [00:30:01] STUDIES, WE ARE, UH, KEEPING IN MIND, UM, HOW WE CAN UPDATE, UH, THE CURRENT URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES TO BRING IT INTO, UM, THE NEW PHASE THAT AUSTIN IS FACING. UM, AND, AND TO THAT EFFECT, THE TIMELINE FOR THE, FOR THE REWRITE, UM, THE REWRITE BEGAN IN 2021. UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UM, REVIEW BY OUR WORKING GROUP OF DESIGN GUIDELINES, WORKING GROUP INTERNAL TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION. UM, THE, THE, THE PREPARATION PHASE I SAID THAT BEGAN IN, IN 2021 CONTINUED UNTIL, UM, MARCH OF 2024, WHERE WE ENTERED INTO A, A CREATION PHASE. AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY. WE'RE, UH, REACHING OUT OR ALMOST AT THE THRESHOLD OF REACHING OUT TO STAKEHOLDERS AND INTEREST SPIRIT GROUPS TO INVITE THEIR FEEDBACK ON THE, THE REWRITE. AND ONCE WE'VE INCORPORATED THE, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVE, UM, WE'LL THEN BE IN THE FINALIZATION PHASE, UM, READY TO RELEASE THE UPDATED DESIGN GUIDELINES, WHICH WE HOPE WILL, UM, IMPROVE THE PROCESS AND PROVIDE MORE CLARITY FOR THE PROJECT TEAMS SEEKING TO SEEKING APPROVAL. UM, SO WITH STAFF, UH, COLLABORATION, UH, WE INTEND TO INCORPORATE FEEDBACK FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, AND, UM, HOPEFULLY UPON COUNCIL ADOPTION, UM, WE'LL START TO IMPLEMENT THAT NEW URBAN DESIRED GUIDELINE IN, IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE. UM, WE BELIEVE IT REFLECTS THE COMMISSION'S ONGOING COMMITMENT TO HIGH QUALITY DESIGN AND THOUGHTFUL URBAN PLANNING. AND, UM, WE REMAIN DEDICATED TO FOSTERING, UH, VIBRANT AND SUSTAINABLE, UM, PUBLIC REALM FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT WAS A VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION. UM, YOU MAY HAVE COVERED THIS, BUT WHEN ARE YOU EXPECTING THE UPDATED DESIGN, UH, CRITERIA? WE, WE ARE, UH, THE WORKING GROUP IS FINALIZING THE DRAFT THAT WILL BE RELEASED TO THE STAKEHOLDERS FOR REVIEW, AND I THINK WE'RE RIGHT AT THAT THRESHOLD TO RELEASE THAT. WE'VE GONE THROUGH SEVERAL ROUNDS OF DRAFTS, AND I BELIEVE THE FINAL DRAFT SHOULD BE RELEASED VERY, VERY SOON. MR. PI, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE DEVELOPING, UH, GUIDELINES. UH, IS YOUR WORKING GROUP, UM, DOING THE DEVELOPMENT OR DO YOU HAVE A FIRM THAT'S WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE WORKING GROUP? UM, THERE, IT'S PRIMARILY THE WORKING GROUP, UH, THAT CONSISTS OF, UM, DESIGN PROFESSIONALS, URBAN DESIGNERS, AND ARCHITECTS. MM-HMM . UM, AND THE SIZE OF THE GROUP IS SUCH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REACH FORUM. UM, AND THERE IS STAFF SUPPORT, BUT THERE'S NO EXTERNAL, UH, CONSULTANT OFFICE INVOLVED AT THIS POINT. MM-HMM . OKAY. THANK YOU. YES. COMMISSIONER LEVINSON. UM, AS A DOWNTOWN RESIDENT, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THIS AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE SURE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A REALLY STRONG FOCUS ON THE PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT AND ALSO ON THE, UM, A DA SO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, DISABILITY SO THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS FOR PEOPLE. I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT ALL THESE PUBLIC SPACES AND PLAZAS AND STUFF BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE FOR AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. MM-HMM . YEP. AND I WOULD WONDER IF YOUR GROUP AT SOME POINT IN TIME WOULD BE WILLING TO, I CHAIR THE PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL, IF YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PERHAPS COMING TO SPEAK TO THE PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL ABOUT THIS? ABSOLUTELY. UM, THAT, THAT IS A BIG CONCERN OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION, UM, ESPECIALLY AS IT, IT PERTAINS TO CURB CUTS AND, UM, DRY VIALS THAT LEAD TO PARKING GARAGES. WE FIND THAT THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY IN, IN RECENT YEARS, AND THERE ARE DEVICES, ALARMS TO WARN PEDESTRIANS. UM, HOWEVER, WE FEEL THAT THINGS COULD BE DONE DIFFERENTLY, ESPECIALLY LOOKING AT THE ALLEY ACCESS IN A BETTER, BETTER LIGHT. UM, BUT WE CERTAINLY RECOMMEND ALWAYS, UH, TREATMENT TO THE PAVEMENT, UH, TEXTURE TO CLEARLY INFORM PEDESTRIANS AS TO WHAT IS YOUR BUILDING APPROACH WHEN YOU'RE IN THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY IN THE PUBLIC, UH, WALKWAY AND WHAT IS CLEARLY A, A CAR AISLE TO, UH, SUPPORT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. YEARS AGO, I, WHEN I HAD MAJOR FOOT SURGERY AND I HAD TO BE ON A KNEE SCOOTER FOR ABOUT A MONTH, I FOUND TRYING TO GET EVEN TWO OR THREE BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE DOWNTOWN TO LIKE A RESTAURANT TO BE ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING. SO I WOULD DEFINITELY LOVE TO SEE SOME WORK ON THOSE CURB CUTS. MM-HMM . YEP. THANK YOU. AND, AND ONE THING I WILL ADD IS I THINK, UH, PART, AS PART OF THE REWRITE AND THE REVIEW OF THESE CASE STUDIES, [00:35:01] UH, WE FIND THAT THE COMPLIANCE WITH THE SITE PLAN IS A MAJOR HURDLE FOR A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS AS THEY'RE HAVING TO NAVIGATE AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, POWER REQUIREMENTS, UH, VAULT TRANSFORMER LOCATIONS, AS WELL AS FIRE, UH, ACCESS, UM, REALLY CARVES UP THEIR GROUND GROUND FOR A PLANE IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO, UM, PROVIDE SEVERAL OPTIONS. UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN, UH, IMPROVE THAT PROCESS. YEAH, I HADN'T CONSIDERED THAT. THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I THINK THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF LEGACY INFRASTRUCTURE DOWNTOWN, AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE LACK OF ACCESSIBILITY IS OCCURRING. MM-HMM . YEP. BECAUSE IT'S REQUIRED LEGALLY TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE FOR ANY, ANY RECENT BUILDING CHAIRMAN. YES. QUICK QUESTION, UH, COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR PRESENTATION. I HAD A QUICK QUESTION JUST KIND OF IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT FLOODING THAT WE'VE SEEN ACROSS, YOU KNOW, THE INDEPENDENT DAY WEEKEND KIND OF IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE NAVIGATING DOWNTOWN. I MEAN, I SAW VIDEOS OF WATERWAYS DOWNTOWN THAT WERE JUST RUSHING RAPIDLY. I WONDER IF THAT POSES ANY SORT OF, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY OR ANY SORT OF NOTIFICATION KIND OF ALERT SYSTEM OR IF THERE'S ANYTHING BEING LOOKED AT IN THAT REGARD AT ALL. UH, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT NOTHING OF THAT NATURE HAS COME BEFORE THE DESIGN COMMISSION. AND ALTHOUGH INFRASTRUCTURE IS TECHNICALLY WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE, THE COMMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE IN AND AROUND THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WE HAVEN'T, DURING MY TIME WITH THE DESIGN COMMISSION, UM, I DON'T RECALL EVER HAVING A PRESENTATION OF THAT NATURE. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. I JUST, UH, WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THE, YOU KNOW, THE FORCE OF NATURE, UH, IN THAT CASE. SO, UH, WONDER IF THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IT CONTINUES TO, UH, IF WE SEE MORE OF THAT RIGHT. IF THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT A LITTLE CLOSER. ABSOLUTELY. SO A FEW YEARS AGO, THAT'S, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER, BY THE WAY, SPEAKING THANK YOU. SORRY. A FEW YEARS AGO. THEY REDIN THE FLOODPLAINS TEMPORARILY IN AUSTIN TO SORT OF TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ACTUAL CONDITIONS. AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WOULD FALL UNDER URBAN DESIGN. IT'S MORE OF A, LIKE I SAID, AN INFRASTRUCTURE. PERHAPS WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT CITY DEPARTMENT IS IN CHARGE OF THAT. MAYBE THEY COULD COME PRESENT TO US IF WE'RE CONCERNED. BUT MM-HMM . IT, IT IS BEING ADDRESSED TO AT LEAST SOME EXTENT AND BEING THOUGHT ABOUT IN AUSTIN . GREAT. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. UH, OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE, UH, DESIGN GUIDELINE UPDATE WHEN IT'S READY. GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, THE NEXT ORDER OF [4. Approve the Downtown Commission 2024-2025 Annual Internal Review. ] BUSINESS IS THE, UM, APPROVAL OF THE ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW. I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY HAS A COPY OF THIS OR NOT. UM, CHRISTIE, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS A VOTE OR IT'S NOT NECESSARY? IT'S POSTED FOR A VOTE AND THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE DOES RECOMMEND THAT THE COMMISSION APPROVE IT. UM, AND IT IS IN BACKUP AND THERE ARE ALSO SOME COPIES ON THE DAAS. OKAY. WELL I WROTE IT SO YOU CAN HAVE MY . THANK YOU. IS THERE ANOTHER COPY OF IT SOMEWHERE? I DON'T SEE IT HERE. MAYBE IT'S HERE UNDER MY, LET'S SEE IT HERE. WOULD IT BE, IF IT'S HELPFUL, I CAN ASK OUR AUDIO VISUAL TEAM TO DISPLAY IT ON THE SCREEN. YEAH, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL. IT WAS ALSO IN THE EMAIL THAT WAS SENT OUT. IT WAS, YEAH, I KNOW THERE WERE TWO STACKS OF PAGES, BUT ONE OF THEM MAY HAVE BEEN THE OLD MINUTES. THESE WERE AGENDAS, THIS WERE THE OLD AGENDAS. THIS WAS THE, UM, THE, UH, YEAH. OKAY. MINUTES. AND THEN THERE WAS THE CURRENT AGENDA, ESSENTIALLY THE, THE, UM, ANNUAL REVIEW IS GOING OVER WHAT THE COMMISSION HAS, UM, BEEN INVOLVED WITH AND ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE LAST YEAR. AND IT, UM, PRETTY MUCH TRACKS THE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST YEAR. SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE [00:40:01] SHOULD GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON, OR SINCE PEOPLE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT, SHOULD WE? THAT'S CERTAINLY UP TO YOU GUYS AS A GROUP. UM, YOU CAN LAY OUT WHAT YOU HAD COMPILED. IT ALSO INCLUDES, UM, POTENTIAL GOALS. SO I THINK THAT IS THE PIECE THAT IS PARTLY WHY THE CLERK'S OFFICE RECOMMENDS A VOTE, BECAUSE IT KIND OF PROVIDES A STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR WHAT THE GROUP WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON. OKAY. YEAH. LET ME, UH, SEE IT. YES. WELL, I, I'VE REVIEWED IT PERSONALLY PIECEMEAL, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE IF WE POSTPONE THE VOTE TO NEXT MONTH, BUT IF, IF THERE'S A CONSENSUS, OTHERWISE THERE'S NOT. IS THERE A TIMEFRAME OR A TIMEFRAME? THERE IS THE, THE REPORT IS DUE ON THE 31ST, SO IF THE COMMISSION WERE GOING TO APPROVE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE TODAY. OKAY. AGAIN, IT'S NOT A NECESSITY TO APPROVE IT, BUT IT IS RECOMMENDED. OKAY. THAT'S FINE. THANK YOU. UM, I, I THINK MAYBE WE JUST SKIP APPROVING IT, UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE TO BECAUSE NOBODY'S REALLY BEEN ABLE TO STUDY IT. I THINK SO. UM, PERSONALLY I WOULDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE. I KNOW IT 'CAUSE I WROTE IT, BUT I WOULDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING ON IT IF I HADN'T ACTUALLY HAD A CHANCE TO READ OVER IT. SO IF WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT, THEN I THINK WE WILL JUST SUBMIT IT. I'VE REVIEWED IT. DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION JUST SO THAT EVERYBODY IS ON THE SAME PAGE? UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION THAT WE SUBMIT THE ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW, UM, WITHOUT ACTUALLY VOTING TO APPROVE IT ON THE COUNT ON THE COMMISSION. SO MOVED. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR A, AYE. AYE. ERIC, CAN I, SORRY. COMMISSIONER P*****K, WERE YOU VOTING IN FAVOR OR ABSTAINING OR AGAINST I'M VOTING IN FAVOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. I MEAN, I READ IT. SO . UH, SO I GUESS [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ] THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA WOULD BE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. AND I KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER PTO MENTIONED SOME BEFORE THE MEETING, SO DO YOU HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS? UH, YES. UH, RECENTLY, UM, UH, THE DAA, THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE, WE HAD A PRESENTATION BY SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY FOR THEIR PEDESTRIAN PROJECT AT, UH, THIRD AND SHOAL CREEK. UM, AND, AND IT'S A VERY INVOLVED PROJECT. IT INVOLVES MANY, UH, REALLY POSITIVE ASPECTS AND SO THEY ARE ENGAGING, THEY WILL BEGIN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON THE OPTIONS OF THE ACTUAL, UM, PEDESTRIAN CROSSING. AND, UM, I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE HAVE THE SAME PRESENTATION, UH, HERE FOR THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION THAT WE HAD FOR THE, UM, DAA BUILT ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I DO NOT HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM, BUT I DID WANT A POINT OF PRIVILEGE BEFORE WE ADJOURN IF SURE. IF I MAY. YEAH. IF I MAY. A APPOINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE CHAIRMAN? YES. COMMISSIONER MCDON. THANK YOU. UH, I JUST WANTED TO PUBLICLY THANK, UM, CITY LEADERSHIP, PARTICULARLY THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE AND, AND CHAIRMAN YOURSELF AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THIS, UH, COMMISSION AND CITY EMPLOYEES WHO HELPED COORDINATE THE, UH, TOUR AND BRIEFING THAT WE GOT TO DO FOR THE ARCH AND THE EIGHTH STREET SHELTER. UM, AND IN PARTICULAR, I WANT TO THANK URBAN ALCHEMY FOR THEIR WORK, UM, WITH THE POPULATION AND WITH THE COMMUNITY. IT'S REALLY BEEN QUITE A TURNAROUND, UM, AT THOSE FACILITIES. AND I'M, I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE PROGRESS IT'S MADE. I SHARED THIS WITH SOME FOLKS DURING THE TOUR, BUT MY GIRLFRIEND AT THE TIME NOW WIFE, HER, HER FIRST JOB WAS ACTUALLY AT FRONT STEPS AT THE ARCH, AND SO I GOT A CHANCE TO SORT OF SEE IT BEFORE, BACK WHEN IT HAD THE, YOU KNOW, THE METAL DETECTORS AND X-RAYS AND DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT OUT OUTDOORS AND THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING. UM, AND IT'S, IT'S MUCH DIFFERENT AND MUCH IMPROVED. SO I JUST WANNA THANK Y'ALL FOR SETTING THAT UP AND ALLOWING US THE TIME, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AND, AND REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE WORK THAT URBAN ALCHEMY IS DOING IS, IS REALLY QUITE EXCEPTIONAL. SO JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT PUBLICLY. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT. YES. THE TOUR WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING AND, UH, ENCOURAGING ALSO. IT REALLY WAS. I HAD SEEN IT IN THE PAST TOO, UH, BEFORE, UH, URBAN ALCHEMY TOOK OVER AND THEY REALLY ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB. AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU, CHRISTINE, FOR COORDINATING ALL THIS BECAUSE I KNOW IT TOOK A LOT OF WORK TO SET UP AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT. MM-HMM . SO, UM, ANY OTHER FUTURE? YES, FUTURE BUSINESS. I DO, UH, I THINK I MENTIONED THIS BY SHARON AND CHEER TO YOU, UH, LAST MONTH, BUT, UH, SOMETHING, UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. UM, AND THIS IS, UH, GIVEN A LOT OF, UH, STAKEHOLDER INPUT FROM THE MUSIC COMMUNITY. UH, BUT AS WE DEVELOP KIND OF THIS DOWNTOWN PLAN, UH, WE'VE GOT A THREE TIER, UH, [00:45:01] SOLUTION, UH, TO PRESENT HOPEFULLY NEXT AN EXCELLENT AGENDA, UH, IF POSSIBLE, UH, THAT IN CONSTITUTES, UM, WELL THREE THINGS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS REAL NEEDS IN OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY. UH, A DOWNTOWN CREATIVE HUB WHERE MUSICIANS HAVE A SOBER, SAFE PLACE TO BE BETWEEN SOUND CHECK AND GIGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UH, PARKING, UH, OBVIOUSLY AN ONGOING, UH, ISSUE, ONGOING ISSUE ISSUE, YOU KNOW, , UH, AND, UH, FORTUNATELY, UM, WE'VE GOT A VERY SPECIAL BOARD MEMBER WITH OUR ORGANIZATION, JOSE GARZA, UH, WHO DOES HAVE, UH, THREE GARAGES HE, UH, IS WILLING TO GIVE US FOR THAT PURPOSE. UM, AND THEN THE THING THAT CONNECTS EVERYTHING, UH, OUR ORGANIZATION PILOTED A PROGRAM A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO CALLED GIG BUDDY, UH, WHEREIN, UH, WE SCHEDULE TIME AND THEN CONTACT, UH, BLOCK BY BLOCK THE DOWNTOWN AMBASSADORS TO MEET OUR MUSICIANS AT THEIR CARS AND PROVIDE SAFE ESCORT CARTAGE AND SET UP TO AND FROM GIGS. UH, SO IT KINDA SOLVES A LOT OF THESE REALLY SPECIFIC PROBLEMS. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE PRESENTED NEXT. I I DO HAVE A PRESENTATION I'D LOVE TO PRESENT, UH, NEXT MONTH OR WHENEVER IT IS APPROPRIATE. YEAH, I WOULD SECOND THAT. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR IT. MM-HMM . ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SOME OF OUR NEWER COMMISSIONERS. UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, LET YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU WANT TO INVITE AN OUTSIDE GROUP, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO SO, SUCH AS A NONPROFIT AUSTIN AREA ORGANIZATION. I CAN COORDINATE WITH THE CITY DEPARTMENTS IN ORDER TO ARRANGE PRESENTATIONS, BUT IF IT'S AN OUTSIDE GROUP, SUCH ASHO CREEK CONSERVANCY, ET CETERA, JUST LOOP ME IN THAT WAY I CAN ADD IT TO THE AGENDA. PERFECT. I'M HAPPY TO HELP WITH THAT. UM, AND COMMISSIONER BTA, CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME THE ORGANIZATION'S NAME? I'M SORRY, I JUST DIDN'T CATCH IT. OF COURSE. YEAH, THAT'S, UH, THAT WOULD BE AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER FUTURE BUSINESS SUGGESTIONS TODAY? I THINK WITH THAT, UM, OH WAIT, WE'VE GOT A HAND UP MISSION. OH, SORRY. OH, I CAN'T HEAR YOU. NO, YOU'RE STILL MUTED. YEAH, I CAN'T HEAR YOU. ICON ON YEAH, EMAIL US . YEAH, EMAIL US. SORRY ABOUT THAT. YEAH. UM, ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER BUSINESS? IF NOT, UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. I SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. WE ARE ADJOURNED. BYE FOLKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BYE EVERYBODY. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.